Tag: Jamie Reed

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-11-27.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his Oral Statement of 26 November 2015, Official Report, columns 1489-94, what assessment the Government has made of the potential increased displacement of people in Syria of his proposal to extend military operations to that country; and what the implications of that assessment are for the Government’s policy on the number of Syrian refugees.

Mr David Cameron

Coalition airstrikes have been on-going since September 2014. Airstrikes may cause some local level internal displacement and disruption; but it is the conflict that is the main cause of suffering and displacement of civilians in Syria.

The UK has been at the forefront of the response to the crisis in Syria and the region. We have pledged over £1.1 billion, our largest ever response to a single humanitarian crisis. We are the second largest bilateral donor after the US. UK support has reached hundreds of thousands of people in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Egypt. By the end of June 2015, UK support inside Syria and in the surrounding region had, for example, delivered almost 20 million food rations that feed one person for a month; over 2.5 million medical consultations; and relief items for 4.6 million people.

The UK is supporting refugees to remain in host countries in the region, and supporting host countries to accommodate them As part of this, we are working in partnership with host countries to help them to expand job and education opportunities for refugees in a way that will enable them to better support themselves and give them skills for the future, and we are helping host countries to cope with the impact of refugees on local services.

We will continue the work parallel with proposals to expand military operations in the country.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what support his Department is giving to seasonal workers who have been affected by recent flooding.

Priti Patel

Jobcentres in areas affected by the recent flooding have ensured staff and work coaches are available to support any increase in immediate claims. Work coaches will provide an individually tailored service to help and support their return to work as quickly as possible. Those workers affected by the recent flooding are referred to employers who are still recruiting.

We would urge those affected, who have not already done so, to contact their local Jobcentre at their earliest opportunity.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-03.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on Copeland Borough Council’s spending power of reforms to business rates announced in the Summer Budget 2015.

Mr Marcus Jones

The Government has announced reforms to the business rates retention scheme which mean that, by the end of this Parliament, local government will keep 100% of locally raised business rates and 100% of the growth generated by new development. Over the coming months we will be working with local government on the details of the scheme.

Ahead of final decisions, it is too early to assess what the impact of the reforms will be on individual areas’ spending power.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-10.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans the Government has to support research and development in the use of thorium reactor technology in (a) the UK, (b) the EU and (c) worldwide.

Andrea Leadsom

The UK has been supporting research and development into the use of thorium nuclear fuels since such fuels were used in the Dragon reactor at Winfrith in the 1960s and 1970s.

Examples of current activity on thorium and related technologies include academic research into thorium fuelled reactor systems and fuel cycle processes through Research Council grants to UK universities; collaboration on thorium fuels, via the UK Research Councils’ Energy Programme, with national nuclear energy programmes of other countries on safety, performance and non-proliferation; experimental development of thorium fuels through the UK’s National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and private sector organisations, as part of international consortia, and thorium fuel modelling and fuel cycle scenario analysis by the NNL. These activities cover UK, EU and worldwide initiatives and receive either financial or strategic support from the Government. The Government plans to continue a similar approach to support future research and development in the use of thorium as a nuclear reactor fuel.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-02-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what account his Department has taken of (a) new nuclear developments and (b) tidal lagoon projects in West Cumbria in devolving its Northern Powerhouse agenda.

James Wharton

Cumbria Local Enterprise Partnership has identified nuclear and energy excellence as a key priority contributing significant growth opportunities for the Cumbria economy. Discussions with Cumbria about their Devolution deal proposals are progressing well. I am pleased they have strong ambitions to drive growth across the Cumbria area by improving the delivery of skills, infrastructure, environmental sustainability and business support.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-04-27.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions she has had with her Japanese counterpart on the involvement of Japanese companies in new nuclear power projects in the UK.

Andrea Leadsom

I have just returned from Japan where I met Japanese counterparts during the G7 Energy Ministerial for positive discussions on energy matters including nuclear.

Senior officials also have regular dialogue with Japanese counterparts including in relation to the proposed new nuclear power stations at Wylfa and Moorside, which are led by Japanese companies.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-06-28.

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what support the Government plans to provide to communities in (a) West Cumbria and (b) Somerset (i) during and (ii) after the construction of new nuclear development in those areas.

Andrea Leadsom

The Government aims to maximise the supply chain, skills and infrastructure opportunities from new nuclear development for host communities. DECC chairs fora in both West Cumbria and Somerset that bring together senior stakeholders, including local and central Government. During construction of a nuclear plant, local communities receive funding from the developer through a mechanism in the Development Consent Order. We also encourage communities to bid for Government funding to capitalise on new nuclear opportunities, such as the upcoming Growth Deal 3. In 2013 the Government announced a Community Benefit package for new nuclear host communities once a plant begins operating. This totals £1000 per megawatt of capacity for each year of the plant’s initial life.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-07-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will take steps to help (a) retain and (b) increase the number of beds at Keswick Hospital.

Ben Gummer

Decisions on services at Keswick Hospital are matters for the local National Health Service.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-09-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people applied for attendance allowance under the special rules for people with terminal illness in each of the last five years.

Penny Mordaunt

The information requested is not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Information on claims awarded under the special rules for people with terminal illness is available from the DWP Tabulation Tool: http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/tabtool.html.

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Jamie Reed on 2016-10-17.

To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will meet the hon. Member for Copeland to discuss the effect of the exit payment cap on nuclear workers in Copeland constituency.

Mr David Gauke

The government announced in May 2015 that it intends to take forward its manifesto commitment to end six-figure exit payments for public sector workers. The Enterprise Act, which contains provisions for the £95,000 public sector exit payment cap, received Royal Assent on 4 May 2016.

Public sector exit payments cost around £2 billion a year and it is important that they are fair, proportionate and provide value for money to the taxpayer that funds them. The proposed cap, amounting to 3.5 times the average public sector salary, will still offer a significant level of compensation and support to an employee, and will apply to only a small percentage of public sector exits. The exit payment cap will apply to organisations classified as within the public sector by the Office for National Statistics, with a small number of exceptions.

I am aware that the hon. Member for Copeland is discussing the effect of the cap on nuclear workers in his constituency with my noble friend the Minister of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). That is the appropriate route for these discussions as BEIS is the department responsible for the nuclear industry.